Brockton meeting to focus on domestic violence

Monday

Jul 7, 2014 at 2:00 AMJul 7, 2014 at 12:10 PM

The meeting, which is open to the public, will be held at 5 p.m. on Tuesday in the GAR room at Brockton City Hall, 45 School St.

Staff Reporter

BROCKTON – The region has seen three murders allegedly related to domestic violence in five weeks. Two of the victims - one Haitian, the other Cape Verdean - represent two of Brockton's larger immigrant populations.

Ward 6 City Councilor Michelle DuBois has organized a meeting at City Hall on Tuesday to help connect domestic violence victims – particularly those who may be facing a language or cultural barrier – to the services they need to get help and flee abusive relationships.

The meeting, which is open to the public, will be held at 5 p.m. on Tuesday in the GAR room at Brockton City Hall, 45 School St.

DuBois said she organized the meeting after the May 16 murder of Florence Beaulieu, a 37-year-old Brockton mother of Haitian descent. Weeks later, Patricia Langley, a 52-year-old Rockland mother, was killed on June 11. In both cases, their husbands have been charged with murder.

Then, on June 23, Joaopedro Goncalves, a 44-year-old Brockton father of Cape Verdean descent, was fatally stabbed during an altercation outside his Brockton home. His son, Amilton Goncalves, 21, has been charged with murder.

DuBois said she reached out to about 30 service providers across the region for the meeting so that they can discuss ways to help domestic violence victims, including members of ethnic groups who may not know where to get help.

“It’s just to get the ball rolling on some additional advocacy and visibility,” DuBois said Sunday. “There are a lot of people who care about victims.”

DuBois expects various agencies, church and cultural groups will attend the meeting, including South Shore Haitians United for Progress, the Justice Center of Southeast Massachusetts, Family and Community Resources Inc. in Brockton, and A New Day, which provides counseling and services to victims of sexual and relationship violence.

Victims “need to know what their options are and they need to know that there are agencies out there that can provide assistance,” said Pat Kelleher, executive director of Family and Community Resources in Brock ton. “If they need to flee, they can call 24/7.”

The first step that victims can take is calling one of several domestic violence hotlines across southeastern Massachusetts, said Kelleher, whose agency’s hotline is 800-281-6498.

In May alone, Family and Community Resources Inc. – which serves more than 10 local communities including Brockton, Abington, Stoughton and Easton – provided services to 165 adult victims of domestic violence and 39 children who had witnessed violence, Kelleher said.

In Brockton alone, police responded to 644 calls for domestic violence from January through May – a month that saw 173 calls for domestic violence, up from 93 in April and 83 in February, Kelleher said.

“It’s really devastating and a really isolating thing that quite a few (victims) go through,” DuBois said of domestic violence.

Maria Papadopoulos may be reached at mpapa@enterprisenews.com or follow on Twitter @MariaP_ENT.